Roma reservations - timing question

I don't know how much time you have in Rome, but, personally, I would avoid the Vatican on your first, jet-lagged day. I would opt for more walking and exploring other areas of the city (maybe, the Colosseum and Forum?). I found that the Vatican requires more concentration and patience, so I think that it is less suited to a first day.

I agree, the Vatican should not be tackled after an overnight flight. You need to be well rested. Explore the Pantheon, Piazza Navona & Campo dei'Fiori on your first day. Keep is simple & don't have any set plans.

Agree with the others. The Vatican is overwhelming and I went there on my second (full) day in the city--two days after landing. I think you can do St. Peters' and certainly enjoy strolling around the Piazza and the neighborhood. We stayed in that area and I really enjoyed just walking around, especially the very first day.

If, due to time constraints, you absolutely have to do the Vatican the first day--and you plan to book a tour--I would say book the afternoon (usually around 1pm or 2pm) tour. That way if your plane is delayed or you are tired and need a nap, you aren't hemmed in by a morning deadline. But I wouldn't expect to get as much out of it as you probably will when rested.

For a realistic time estimate: My plane landed just before 7am on a Sunday morning. I, with a small carryon and personal bag, was out of the airport in about 30 minutes. The train takes about another 30 minutes. Termini was confusing and by the time I found the metro and bought a ticket, that was probably another 15-20 minutes. If it's a weekday you will be on the bus in rush hour. Depending on where specifically your B&B is, I would suggest you consider taking the metro as opposed to the bus--especially the #64, notorious for pickpockets.

Then it depends on how long it takes your B&B to have your room ready, check in, etc. Our hotel didn't have the rooms ready but let me leave my bags in a back room while I went exploring.

For the Borghese--I would suggest booking the 3pm or 5pm slot. That way you can do your Scavi tour, then rest and/or have lunch afterwards, and then make your way over to Villa Borghese (which takes a little while to get to from the Vatican area).

Kath, since you are taking the train into Rome, why not take the subway to the vatican as you will be in the Termini train station and you can pick up the subway there. The #64 bus can be kind of dangerous and there are alot of pickpockets that hang out on that bus looking for their targets. I would feel much more secure on the subway. That being said, feel free to do what you want but I would steer away from the bus. Have fun!!!

Thanks to all for your input.

The B&B we are staying at has directions on their website that suggested the #64 bus.
If the bus isn't safe maybe we need to re-think our accommodations.

"from Termini railway Station: we suggest you to catch bus line 64 and get off at Via del Crocefisso stop (Piazzale -Square- Gregorio VII): B&B Alla cupola di San Pietro is 350 meters far from there (about 30 minutes travel time)."
kath

I didn't ride the #64 so can't really tell you how 'safe' it is, just that it's got a reputation as being a pickpocket haven. With a money belt you are probably OK, but since you will be carrying all of your luggage, I would probably opt for the metro.

I did a map search and it looks like if you take Line A from Termini and get off at the San Pietro metro stop, the B&B is not too far. They should be able to give you detailed street directions from the metro station, as navigating the streets in Rome can be confusing, especially when jet-lagged. Also, note that the street names are on signs on the buildings themselves--took me a long time to figure that one out!

Taking the Metro from the train station would be the best way to get to the Vatican. However, I have taken the #64 bus numerous times when in Rome and have never encountered any problems. I would not let its reputation deter you from ever taking it.

I agree with Mike - bus #64 is not unsafe in the sense of dangerous and you shouldn't feel like you need to avoid it. Since a bus #64 leaves Termini about every 10-15 minutes, get on one where you have seats. That will help reduce the small risk of being pickpocketed.

If you do decide to book a Vatican tour your first day, probably best to book a time in the afternoon. If everything clicked, you might get to the Vatican by 10:30 or 11:00, but why rush it? Best to book Borghese Museum for the afternoon too. In both cases, you can fill the time with another activity if running early - much easier than trying to reschedule if running late.

thanks for your replies. I got a good price for the B&B and its rated well on Trip advisor.com. I wasn't able to find anything similarly priced with good recommendations in the classical areas of Rome. And prices are going to be even more of an issue with the current state of the eceonomy.

If the issue is pickpockets, I think we are reasonably okay - between waist wallet for valuables and wrist wallet for ready cash and credit card I feel pretty safe.

We have travelled to London from Heathrow via the tube and the Paris metro at rush hour with our carry-on luggage, and we work in Washington,DC so we are no strangers to public transportation and rush hour. But we are women around 60 years old and I do NOT want to be in an area where we have to worry about our safety.

Your question brings back memories of our arrival in Rome and same day Vatican tour. July 2005 we went to Rome with our three daughters, ages 10, 13 and 15 at the time. Our flight arrived about 8:30 am, and we had private tour guide booked for the Vatican Museum in the afternoon. Our eldest daughter was too excited to sleep on the plane, and when food was offered after we arrived, said she wasn't hungry.

She almost vomited on the Laocoon, and had to sit down and put her head between her knees in the Courtyard of the Pinecone. The guide was very understanding. We took a detour to the cafeteria, and things improved from there.

Before we even made it to the museum, we had to stop at a Farmacia for blister remedies, because fashion had won out over comfort for the girls, and hot weather and brand new flats with no socks wasn't a good combination.

So if you have the luxury of time, the suggestions about taking it easy the first day are good ones. And since you're an adult, you will probably be sensible about sleeping and eating too!

We only had three days in Rome, before we went on to a week in Sicily, otherwise we wouldn't have tried to cram so much in the first day either.